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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25724053">time turned fragile</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilstheater/pseuds/evilstheater'>evilstheater</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mr. Driller (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Kid Fic, M/M, Major Character Injury, Pre-Canon, Tags Are Hard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 11:22:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>939</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25724053</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/evilstheater/pseuds/evilstheater</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>ataru's best friend is stuck in a coma, and he makes an effort to make sure he's never alone</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ataru Hori/George</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>time turned fragile</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/VinculumStellarum/gifts">VinculumStellarum</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It had been a week since the accident, and a week since George successfully was turned into a cyborg.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For Ataru, it felt a lot longer. He came back a few days after he heard of George being crushed during training, and he felt like it was his fault that it happened. He was away, with his parents, in a completely different country. He wondered if he stayed back, would this have happened? Would he be able to stop the blocks from collapsing onto his best friend? Would everything be normal? It was something that stuck in his mind, although the current situation couldn’t be changed now.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>School felt… different. There was no one to hold his hand to class, there was no one to sit at lunch with him, there was no one to race him to the playground, and there was no one to sit with under the trees after school. Ataru never knew how big of an impact George had on his life, and now that he was gone, what once was his filled heart felt emptied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He thought about all the bugs the two caught together, and all of the times they tried to sneak out of drilling lessons to have conversations. He thought about all the times they shared lunches, or the sleepovers they’d have each weekend. Now they were gone, and Ataru never felt more lonelier in his life. He didn’t like waking up anymore -- what did it matter if he couldn’t share each day with his best friend?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>That’s what he thought, at least, until his mom gave him a suggestion to visit his friend every day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>At first, he didn’t like seeing George hooked up to machines. His skin was bandaged up, blankets covering some of his body. His arms were hooked to IVs, pumping in the minimum to keep him alive for the time being. Ataru couldn’t even see his face, also wrapped behind bandages, with tubes going down his throat. He thought it was scary, and he wondered if George was in pain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ataru remembered Dr. Z sitting him down after school one day and explaining everything. His friend wasn’t hurting, but he’d be asleep for a long while. Perhaps not </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> long, but it felt like an eternity to Ataru. He read about cyborgs in fiction before, but never knew they could exist in the real world. It reminded him of a show the two watched together -- where a little boy died and a robot emerged in his place.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ataru hoped George wouldn’t die, though. Being a robot sounded like it sucked.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He reminisced on how the professor explained how when George was ready to wake up, it would take a while for him to get adjusted to his new body. His legs were prosthetic, connected to his body with metal, and how few of his organs remained. The rest was circuitry, and George wasn’t human anymore. Ataru wondered if this meant that his friend would have super strength, or if he’d be super smart.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to not ask too many silly questions, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He kept this in mind as he walked back into the hospital room, his mother and father following behind. Ataru’s parents were well acquainted with George, and had been spending the last week desperately trying to cheer their son up. Masuyo set down a bouquet of flowers by his bedside, which was covered with drawing Ataru made for his friend to look at when he awoke.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ataru walked over to the side of the bed, reaching out for his friend’s hand. It was stiff, cold, and unresponsive. He was still alive, however, even if barely. He took a deep breath, and tried to sound as cheery as he could.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hi George!” Ataru exclaimed. “I wish you were awake right now, because I want to show you all the pictures my parents took while we were out! I wish you could have gone with us…I’m sure you would’ve loved it!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>George’s heart monitor beeped in response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We all miss you at school. I don’t like chasing after bugs if you aren’t around. I want you to get better already, so we can show everyone who’s boss! I bet everyone’s going to think you’re super cool, because now you’re a robot and stuff. You’re like Astro Boy, you know?” Ataru remarked, with gentle beeps being his only response.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Taizo and Masuyo glanced at each other, with a look of sorrow on their faces.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ataru leaned his head onto George’s chest, being sure not to press too hard. He could hear circuits softly whirring, and what sounded like an engine breathing life into the boy. Not that he’d really know, he wasn’t smart with these kinds of things. He closed his eyes, and continued to ramble.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Susumu’s gonna turn 4 soon. I hope you wake up before his birthday... he really wants you there! He keeps asking about you. So get better as soon as you can, okay? I love you, George,” he said, making sure to be loud enough to where George could possibly hear him. He stood there for a moment longer, giving the best embrace he could while his friend was stuck in a hospital bed. He felt a hand on his shoulder, and tilted his head to see Taizo looking over him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We should go, I know George’s mom wants to come in soon, okay? She probably wants some privacy,” Taizo spoke to his son. Ataru nodded, giving his best friend a quick hand squeeze before running out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Seeya, George! I’ll come back tomorrow!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ataru was always true to his word.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>waaa hooo wee hooo oooo oo</p></blockquote></div></div>
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